June 9, Shanokin Dam, PA

We left our B&B early and looked forward to a later breakfast. However, breakfast came at a big price.  Seven miles into our ride we had a big hill with grades ranging from 12 to 18 percent.  We are tired of writing about our climbs and suspect you are tired of reading about them. What is noteworthy about this one is Joe’s mastery of the hill.  He cycled it all the way to the top.  Jeff walked.  Joe’s power must have been a carryover from yesterday’s 4 scoops of ice cream.

After our down hill we cycled into Bloomsburg and crossed the Rupert Covered Bridge.  The bridge cost $1,637 when it was built in 1847 by Jesse W. Beard. It was named after the nearby village, which was settled by Leonard Rupert in 1788. Rupert Bridge was restored and upgraded in 2000-2001. The walls and roof are still self-supported, with a new load-bearing modern bridge constructed underneath.

Breakfast was finally found at Woody’s Café in Catawissa.  There we met a couple who were dining outside.  They asked about our trip and offered to watch our bikes so we could go inside where we would be refreshed by the air conditioning.  While we were not concerned about our bikes, their offer seemed to make them happy.  Woody’s was interestingly decorated and their menu offered us a wide selection.

Our next stop was in Danville so we could cycle on the J. Manley Robbins Trail.  .  According to Rails-to-Trails “it is the oldest known rail-trail in the United States.” The 1.1-mile trail connects to the Old Reading Line Trail to form the 2.6-mile Hess Loop Trail.   The first saw organized use by the Danville Bicycle Club in the 1890s. The corridor, built on a former narrow-gauge railroad by the Montour Iron Works in the 1840s,

Our next stop was in Northumberland, PA.  From the age of 5 to 21, Jeff called this his home town.  The town dates back to 1772. Joseph Priestly settled here but it is unlikely that many know his claim to fame.  As a clergyman he was forced to leave England because of his scientific experiments with alcohol that led to the discovery of the element oxygen.  We cycled by his home and several other properties that were his legacy.

We also went by the Front Street Station. In 1908 construction began on this building in addition to an expanded classification yard, which became the fifth largest such railroad yard in the United States. In 1910 this building was completed, opening the way for a flourishing Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train service that brought 18 trains to town each day. The station closed in 1958 and remained closed until Jay Seidel purchased the building in 1981, and restored it for his restaurant

Finally, we climbed to the Shikellamy State Park Overlook. It is on top of 360-foot cliff that overlooks the confluence of the North and West branches of the Susquehanna River. What began as a tiny stream in Cooperstown, NY the North branch has become a very wide river at Northumberland.

Today's picture

TodaysMap

Map - Total Trip to date - 464  Miles (up to Sanokin Dam, PA)






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